Princess Bullet takes her talents to South Ocean

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Princess Bullet made quite a splash when she won her debut easily going two turns. She will make her much-anticipated second start in Saturday’s $125,000 South Ocean Stakes for Ontario-sired juvenile fillies at Woodbine.

Princess Bullet was bet down to 5-1 in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race for Ontario-sired fillies Sept. 4. After racing in eighth early under Patrick Husbands, she mounted a four-wide rally on the far turn and drew off under a hand ride to prevail by 4 3/4 lengths in 1:46.30.

Trainer Krista Cole said Husbands was instrumental in the decision to run Princess Bullet over a route of ground right off the bat.

“When Patrick came and worked her, she galloped out so amazingly that he said he would prefer that we ran her long,” Cole recalled. “We started prepping her for long, and she just kept getting better and better. It worked out well for us.”

Princess Bullet has worked twice leading up to the 1 1/16-mile South Ocean, including a five-furlong breeze in 1:02.40 on the training track last Saturday.

“Patrick worked her both times, and he’s very happy with her,” Cole said. “Her last work, we just wanted a nice, easy maintenance work, and she flew down the lane. She knew when she came around the turn to take off. He had a hard time pulling her up. She galloped out quite far.”

Seven others were entered in the South Ocean, the eighth on a 10-race card.

KEY CONTENDERS

Princess Bullet, by Kentucky Bear

Beyer: 59

◗ She was a bargain $3,500 purchase by Joseph Smith at the 2015 Canadian premier yearling sale.

“I broke her at the farm,” Cole said. “She’s a May foal and was a little small, so we took our time. She’s not small anymore, though. We thought when she was ready, she’ll let us know, and she did let us know.”

Happy Is Lucky, by Giant Gizmo

Last 3 Beyers: 57-51-60

◗ After graduating in her second start, she ran fifth on yielding turf in the Shady Well Stakes and was third most recently in the Ontario Debutante Stakes.

◗ This is her first start around two turns, and her hot sire has produced the recent route stakes winners Amis Gizmo and Jurojin.

Cindervella, by Silent Name

Beyers: 67-50

◗ A maiden, she was recently a prominent fourth going 6 1/2 furlongs in the Muskoka Stakes.

“We hope she’s a two-turn horse,” said trainer Mike De Paulo. “Her mother was stakes-placed going two turns.”